Wire-cloth fabric.



.PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

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W: M Q Z n 6 m C u 1 No. 842,310. k PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907. M. W. PLOTO.Y

WIRE CLOTH FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. ms.

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MATTHEW W. FLOTO, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-CLOTH FABRIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 1907.

Application filed July 24,1905. Serial No. 270.924.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW W. From, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVVire-Cloth Fabrics; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wire-cloth fabric of the classused in constructing bed, couch, and davenport bottoms. Heretofore inbuilding up such fab rics sections or units have been used which affordslight resiliency in themselves, and it has been usual to require strongspiral or other suitable springs for engaging the fabric at the sidesand end-frame members of thebed-body. This not only greatly increasesthe expense, but as well is in several respects objectionable asrendering repairs much more difficult should such a spring or aunitsection be broken or injured. Futhermore, when so constructed theresiliency is insufiicient for comfort. I

The object of this invention is to afford a construction whereby the endand side springs, usually spiral, may be entirely dispensed with and inwhich the fabric as a whole aflords suflicientresiliency for comfort ofthe user and for all purposes without the necessity of the employment ofadditional springs. It is a further object of the invention to simplifythe construction as a whole and to afford simple means for uniting themargins of the fabric to the frame.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and morefully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a bed, couch, ordavenport frame having secured therein a fabric embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of one of the units or members affordingthe fabric. Fig. 3 is a similar view of one of the side units. Fig. 4 isa perspective view of one of the rings. Fig. 5 is a side elevation ofone of the frame-hooks. Fig; 6 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing aslightlymodified form. Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of one ofthe side units thereunit.

for. Fig. 8 is an enlarged section taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 6. i

As shown in the drawings, A indicates the side frame members, and B theend frame members, of a davenport, bed, or couch to which my improvedfabric is adapted to be applied. a indicates the hooks or clamps whichengage over the flanges of said frame, which are usually constructed ofangle-bars, and into the fabric.

The fabric is constructed of units or members each composed of strongresilient wire of steel or other suitable metal bent to formintermediate the ends a coil or spiral C, from which the extremities cdiverge, as shown in Fig. 2, and afford attaching-arms the ends of whichare turned over, forming a loop 0. As shown, the extremities c of saidwires beyond the loops are turned outwardly on the under side of eacharm, forming a spring beneath which the central coil or spiral of asection engaged thereby is drawn. Said sections or units are assembledin constructing the fabric by drawing the coil or spiral of one sectioninto the loops of the adjacent right and left arm, respectively, of thetwo preceding sections. In this manner the fabric is built up, having,however, one arm of each of the units or members adjacent the side framemembers unconnected. To enable the same to becomiected with the nextunit or member in advance thereof and with the frame, a half-unit ormember C is provided, comprising a coiled spring having theoutwardly-extending arm 0 thereon corresponding with the arms 0 on theunits C and which engages in the coil of the preceding The coils of theunits and half-units thus afford rings along both sides and one end ofthe fabric, and connecting the adjacent arms at the opposite end of thefabric are rings C as shown in Fig. 4, each of which, as shown, consistsof a coil of wire similar to the coils of each unit.

The fabric, as shown, is engaged to the frame by means of clips a,comprising each a rod or wire bent to afford a hook at each end, one ofwhich engages over the flanges on the frame and the other of whichengages in the coils and rings at the ends and sides of the fabric, asshown in Fig. 1, under some ten- SlOIl.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the lateral edges or margins of thebottom are rigid; but it is ofttimes desirable to provide a bed or couchbottom for mattresses having resilient or yielding lateral edges, asshown in Fig. 6. In this construction the units D are similar in allrespects to the units C and are engaged together and to the end framemembers, as before described. The frame, however, is comprised ofangle-bar end members E E and have secured to the inner faces thereofadjacent their ends brackets e, which are provided at their lowermargins with internally-screw-threaded bosses 6, adapted to receive thescrew-threaded ends of the side bars or rails E, situated a distancebelow the plane of the fabric.

Side units D for the fabric are provided, comprising a bent wire or rodaffording one long and one short arm dand d,respectively, as shown inFig. 7, and of which the long arm affords the margin for the fabric. Asshown, said units D are each engaged at their bend in the hooks d of theouter arm of the adja cent unit D, and the hooks d and d on the arms (1and d, respectively, engage in the coil d of the succeeding unit D andthe bend of the succeeding unit D.

At the corners of the fabric are coiled springs F, which are engaged atone end to a hook or clamp f, similar to the hooks a, and at the otherends are engaged to the units D.

The operation is obvious. Any stress applied at any point upon thefabric is distributed over the entire fabric, which being formed of aseries of connected spiral springs and resilient arms afiords greatresiliency at trifling cost.

It is obvious that the construction can be very quickly assembled andeasily and economically connected with the frame and that the frame maybe of any size and that said fabric is not likely to break, owing to theresiliency afforded by the coils. Should, however, any part of thefabric break, the broken part can be quickly and readily re moved fromthe fabric and another substi tuted without requiring the services ofskilled labor;

Any number of turns may be provided in the spirals formed at themtersection of the resillent arms. As shown, however, approximately oneand one-half turns are made, thus comprising coiled springs havingdivergent arms, each provided with a hook on the end thereof saidmembers being engaged together and to said frame, half-unit memberscomprising a coiled spring having an arm, a hook integral with the endthereof and adapted to engage the coils of the unit mem bers alongoneside of the frame, rings engaged to the hooks of the unit andhalf-unit members at one side of the frame and means engaging said hooksand half-unit members to the frame.

2. In a device of the class described the combination with a frame ofunit members comprising coiled springs having a plurality of divergentarms, a hook on the end of each arm bent back upon said arm and thendownwardly therefrom, a plurality of halfunit members each comprising acoiled spring having an arm, a hook integral with the end of said arm,said. unit and half-unit members being arranged in such. a manner thatthe coils are adjacent the frame, coils engaged to the members adjacentone end of the frame and hooks engaging each of said coils to the frame.

3. The combination with frame members of a plurality of springs having aspiral coil and divergent arms, a plurality of marginal springs having acoil and an arm, integral hooks on the end of each of said arms and bentback upon the arm and outwardly therefrom to firmly engage said coils, aplurality of coils adapted to be engaged to one end of the frame and thehooks of said arms and means for fastening the coils adjacent MATTHEW W.FLOTO. lVitnesses C. W. HILLs, W. W. WITHENBURY.

